Avatar: Destiny Rewritten
by AvatarState
Summary: Hello everyone! I enjoy pre-100 year war stories so I thought I would write one of my own. Basically this story will follow Aang had he not been frozen in the iceburg. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Avatar: Destiny Rewritten

***

Chapter 1

Aang struggled against the strong wind gusts over the ocean. Appa growled in frustration but continued to push on, determined to keep himself and his master out of danger. A large bolt of lightning struck so close the Bisons hair stood on end and threw him horribly off course.

In the darkness they tumbled, the sky and ocean blending in a confusing array of colors, water and flashes of lightning. Aang frantically yanked at the reins but Appa could not right himself and the two crashed into the icy waters.

Deeper and deeper they sunk but Appa had no strength. Aang was quickly losing air and would soon be unable to breathe. Just at that time his tattoos glowed brightly, a massive cocoon of air billowing around him and Appa. The icy grip of the water combined with the air slowly began to freeze the water surrounding the two. Aang felt a calming sensation as a bright light swallowed his vision, but suddenly a huge dense of doom gripped him.

This sensation was so powerful that Aang snapped out of his trance and found immense power flowing through him.

"Appa! Yip-yip!," he commanded, his voice sounding like a crowded room.

The power flowed through him into his Bison and they crashed above the waters surface. The storm barely phased them now and they tore through it, unstoppable. A blue column of light shot into the night sky, breaking up the storm in an instant. It was the last thing Aang would recall before blacking out.

***

A warm, wet sensation tickled Aangs feet and he opened his eyes, his head heavy from such power.

"Appa?" he half laughed as the animal continued licking his feet.

They were somewhere cold, Aang saw some sort of village not too far away. It appeared that a group of people were rushing towards them. Aang slowly rose to his feet to meet these strange people. He took a step and realize the ground was very cold and covered in a snowy ice mixture. The group of people soon reached them. They were all dressed in heavy blue furs and had deep brown skin. One stepped forward and introduced himself as the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe.

"An Airbender in these parts?"

"Please excuse my intrusion...I've had a rough couple of days. I did not end up here on purpose."

"Well tell us child. Why are you here?"

"I was running away from home. They tried to separate me from Gyatso."

The Chief spoke up, "I have heard this name before, his legendaries abilities are spoke of around the world. Why did they try to split you two up?"

"Well..." Aang hesitated, "Because I had to go to another Temple for more training."

"But you already have the Master Tattoos...at such a young age. What more could you need?"

Aang swallowed hard, it was still tough to say, "Because I am the Avatar."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

***

The Chief stood in shock for a moment before he and the rest of the greeting party bowed low to Aang.

"Umm, please...you don't have to bow to me.."

"Of course we do Avatar"

Aang shuffled his feet anxiously before the Chief spoke again.

"You are in luck Avatar, if you have already mastered Airbending, that must mean you are ready for the next part of the cycle. We have several powerful Waterbenders in the city. A young girl not much older than you could train you, she has an exceptional gift for Waterbending. But it must be blessed from our village Elders, only they can approve the next stage of Avatar training."

And so Aang offered them a ride on Appa to reach the village faster. But the alarming sight of a giant flying beast set off alarms in the Southern Tribe and shards of ice began to fly at them but the waterbenders aboard Appa quicky dispatched them. Appa landed just inside the walls, only to be immediately surrounded by guards.

"Stand down men. He and his Bison are with us," the Chief ordered.

"Our apologies sir. Ever since we heard the rumors of what the Fire Nation is doing…and then another Airbender going rogue…"

"Airbender? Rogue? Do you mean Afiko?" Aang questioned.

"Yes. We have heard he has done some questionable things but no one can prove he did any of them. Apparently quite a few people from the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom were harmed and all witnesses say it was an Airbender. "

"Well it couldn't be him, we are a peace loving kind."

"I'm sure you are right Avatar, for now let us get you to the Elders quickly."

A few of the guards had to double take at Aang to make sure they had heard correctly. One of them whispered into the ear of the Chief, who in turn nodded and mumbled something back.

"I can hear what you said you know." Aang blurted. "No need to be shy around me."

They all gaped in amazement which got a mischievous grin followed by a boyish laugh from Aang. The Chief regained his demeanor and lead Aang to a decent sized temple in the center of the city. They invited him to go in first, followed by only the Chief.

"Not many are allowed inside of here," he explained before knocking on a large wooden door that looked very old and very heavy.

"Enter." called a mystical voice. The door creaked open seemingly on its own, revealing a large chamber with about a dozen men and women sitting in a circle around a large pool of water.

"Avatar Aang. So nice to meet you. Please come in, you as well Chieftan."

Aang was surprised they knew his name and were so casual about it.

"Did you come alone young one?"

"I did..."

Aang was even more surprised to see they did not appear surprised.

"The Spirits tell us much about your journey here. The activation of the Avatar State at such a young age is quite impressive indeed, even if it was unintentional and used to save your life along with your Bison. We have already consulted with each other and received letters from other spiritual counsels across the nations. We agree it is in your best interest to begin Waterbending Training."

"You mean the monks agreed to this as well?"

"They took much persuading. We believe the spirit of Avatar Yangchen had something to do with it as well, she works in mysterious ways."

Aang could hardly contain his joy and disappointment at the same time. This meant he was truly the Avatar and would never live the calm, peaceful life he was used to. And at the same time he could not wait to get started.

"You will begin tomorrow young Avatar. Until then, familiarize yourself with our city, get some food and most important, rest yourself. Tomorrow will be a long day."

Once outside the Chief seemed over excited himself.

"A feast! In your honor!" he declared.

That night Aang ate like a King and soon stumbled into the Avatar Chambers that had been in the Southern Tribe for centuries. Once asleep, his mind wandered…..

Images of horrifying war machines, shooting massive plumes of fire. The Air Temples burning against a crimson sky, the smoke black and the air acrid. Two men stood watching the scene unfold, one in Fire Nation royal clothing and the other in Air Nomad robes...the worst part is both men were laughing...the laughing got louder...and louder...Aang shot up in his bed, relieved it was just a dreamed. He took a moment to settle down before laying back onto his side and drifting back to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The following day Aang was introduced to a girl maybe two or three year older than he was, they called her Luya. She had already Mastered even the most complicated of Waterbending techniques. Since the introduction she drilled Aang on the relationship of the moon and the tide all while showing him the most basic move of Waterbending. The simple back and forth of the tide, it took Aang about 5 seconds to master this technique

"You sure caught on quick. I shouldn't be surprised since Air and Water are quite similar."

For the rest of the morning she showed him more and more difficult moves but Aang seemed to master them almost immediately.

Luya frowned, "Ok Mr. Avatar. Let's spar a bit. You've learned enough to be able to at least defend yourself."

Aang let out his childish laugh and did some sort of silly dance. Luya didn't quite understand why Aang was doing this but maybe it was just an Airbender thing…

"Aang!"

Aang barely had time to look at Luya when an icicle sped towards him. The Avatar nimbly dodged it, though it grazed the back of his clothing, leaving a small tear. In defense, Aang shot several, yet small, waterballs at his Master. It was all too easy for her to freeze them and send them flying back. Frustrated, Aang made them collide in mid-air and shot the shards back at Luya. While she was distracted with redirecting them once again back at Aang, the Avatar summoned a large wave. It would have hit Luya if the Waterbending Master didn't suddenly turn and part the wall of water so that it passed around her harmlessly.

Aang groaned in disappointment, "I almost had you!"

"That you did," Luya laughed "For that being your first time sparring, I must admit it was impressive. But I should expect nothing less from the Avatar."

Aang smiled, he enjoyed the praise. It sure did make being the Avatar a whole lot easier.

"Now Aang, the spiritual council informed that I could only train you so far and that it is tradition the Avatar travel to our sister tribe in the North. There you will perfect and master Waterbending with a Master who is much less forgiving than I. But first you must make a stop at the Southern Air Temple though, the monks require you to meet someone."

Aang nodded and thanked Luya for all of the training in which the Master was quite humble and bowed to Aang, making him feel a bit silly. After a light lunch, Aang jumped aboard Appa and sped towards the mountainous region that sheltered his home from the rest of the world.

"I wonder who I get to meet buddy." Aang said to Appa, who in turn replied with a low grumble.

It wasn't long before the mountains appeared, tall and shrouded in mist. Aang easily navigated them, flew vertically over a natural rock wall and beheld the Southern Temple.

"We're home!" Aang was excited but at the same time apprehensive, his actions would surely have made the Elder Monks quite unhappy. As they neared the major courtyard of the main temple, a small welcoming party gathered. Gyatso stood at the very front.

"Aang!" he called out. "You have been missed young one."

"You aren't mad at me?"

"I was rather upset at first but now I am at peace with this. You have begun your Avatar journey on your own. Come quickly to the Air Sanctuary, you need to meet someone before you go any further in your training."

"Who?"

"That I cannot tell you."

Gyatso lead the way up the winding path to the large door. Whipping his arms around he fired two large streams of air to cause the doors to swing inward.

"In you go Aang."

Aang walked in, the room was somehow lit up but he couldn't see the source. It appeared several people were standing in the room, but all was silent. What did they want? Looking a little close Aang realized they were statues…all of people that seemed vaguely familiar. He walked amongst them until he reached the last one, a tall Fire Nation man with a thick beard. Aang noticed he bore the Fire Nation Royal Crown, he must be royalty.

"I'm afraid I was never Royalty," a deep, wise voice echoed through the hall.

Aang spun around to face the very same man, only he was a bluish color and shimmering slightly. Gaping, Aang backed away.

"Do not fear me young one," he said warmly. "I am Avatar Roku."

"You were the Avatar before me!"

"Correct. I come here today to aide you in beginning your Avatar journey. I also have a bit of unsettling news."

"What would that be?"

"We will get to that later. For now we shall take a short trip into the Spirit World."

"Huh? But I'm no spirit."

Roku chuckled deeply, the sounded vibrating among the statues, "Young Avatar, you and you alone are the bridge between our two worlds. It has always been this way."

"So I can travel into the Spirit World?"

"Yes, but there are some things you must know before we go. The Avatar holds no place of authority in the Spirit World like they do in the real world. Second, you will be unable to bend any element so stick close to me; we will be riding my dragon Fang. And if we get separated do NOT stray off of the path you are on, many things wish to end the Avatar. Should you perish in the Spirit World it would mean the end of the Avatar Spirit."

Aang gulped, "Why are we going in anyway?"

"You shall see."

Roku waved his arms and brought them together in a loud clap.

Immediately chamber rumbled and a huge shimmering figure burst from the ceiling. He was a great scaled beast with a beard just as great as Roku's. The dragon curled around the two, Roku climbed onto him, just behind the shoulders.

"Come on up Aang. Fang is your steed as well."

And so Aang mounted Fang just behind Roku. They shot back towards the ceiling, which made Aangs instincts kick in as he braced for impact but a funny, tingling sensation replaced it. When Aang opened his eyes they were in an odd place. Clouds were everywhere with hundreds of people nestled among them.

"These are all of your past lives Aang. While only I can communicate with you under my own command, you can communicate with any one of us if you so choose. We are all here to lend our wisdom."

Aang could only look on in awe; he never knew being the Avatar was much more than bending all four elements.

"What else do I need to know about being the Avatar?"

Roku looked back at him, "There is much more, young one, which we do not have time for today but I do need to get to the unfortunate news."

Aang was about to protest but instead bowed his head and allowed Roku to continue.

"Twelve years ago I perished trying to save my island from a volcanic eruption. I was overwhelmed by the poisonous gases that were being released. But there is a reason I could not escape."

Roku became very grim.

"Fire Lord Sozin was there to help me, but we could not do it. Even with us two, the Avatar and Master Firebender, could not stop the elements from doing as they wished. I was quickly overwhelmed from inhaling too much gas and I collapsed. Fire Lord Sozin….he stood there and watched me, helpless. I reached out for his help but he chose to abandon me. Unable to move, Fang came to me and we perished together."

"He abandoned you? But why Roku? Why are you telling me this?"

"Because Aang, several years before that incident I caught Sozin attempting to invade the Earth Kingdom. He refers to it as colonization and spreading the Fire Nations wealth, but I know what he actually wants. Now that a fully realized Avatar is out of his way he can begin his conquest of the world. You are in great danger Aang as you are his main target. The Fire Lord plans to utilize a comet that will bring him and every Firebender in the world unimaginable power."

"So he will come after me?"

"I'm afraid so, but not just you, every Airbender alive. He doesn't know your identity yet so he will strike all four Temples simultaneously."

"He knows where our Temples are?"

"There is a traitor in your midst Aang. You must find a way to become powerful enough to stop Sozin before this comet arrives. I have faith in you but for now we must part ways…until next time…"

And before Aang knew it, he was back in the Air Sanctuary…silent and still, digesting the news he was just delivered..


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The mid afternoon sunlight filtered into the small garden in which Aang was currently meditating. Following his encounter with Roku he had decided to remain quite silent, telling the monks he needed to meditate first before convening with them.

The biggest problem right now was that the Nomads had a traitor walking amongst them. Who could it be? Did I walk by him today? Dozens of questions race through Aang's mind as he tried to figure out who it could be. And when he wasn't thinking of that, the whole comet issue reared its ugly head.

"Aang," Gyatso called to him quietly. "I have good news. The monks and I have discussed this since we learned of your arrival at the Southern Tribe. We agree that I, as your guardian, should accompany you on your travels."

Aang beamed at the thought of this. First they wanted to separate him and Gyatso and now they wanted them to travel together, he couldn't be happier.

"That's great Gyatso! But before we go…I have a message I must inform the monks of."

Aang soon stood before the Council of Monks. He recalled everything Avatar Roku spoke of and when he got to the part of the traitor, several of the monks cried out in anger.

"Peace brothers!" called High Elder Monk Pasang.

"I told you he would get lost in the world!" hollered an ancient Airbender named Tashi. "He only went on that pilgrammage to gain more power! Afiko must be brought back and immediately detained before he does any more harm!"

"As harsh as it sounds, Tashi may be right. Afiko has been running rampant across the Nations and it came back to haunt us now."

Pasang turned towards Aang. "Young Avatar, if you come across Afiko in your travels, do not cross him. While you are knowledgeable, he will show no mercy, although Gyatso may cause him to steer clear of you. We will deal with this traitor."

"What about the comet?" another monk said.

"We have forseen this for quite some time. War has been brewing on the horizon, the winds reek of it. The death of Avatar Roku was quite mysterious indeed and with the Fire Nation being so secretive as of late, it was no surprise. It is time we begin preparing the temples for battle."

"Battle?" Aang blurted.

"It leaves a sour taste on my tongue but we cannot stand idly by and watch our culture be destroyed. Our race used to be one of powerful warriors and warmongers but an Avatar saw their actions would soon throw the Balance off. After a short but bloody skirmish, the Air Warriors disbanded, genders separated and the Air Nomads were born," Tashi answered.

"But how will that help us now?"

"Even though their culture disappeared does not mean their possession have. They built many defenses into each Temple and left a few weapons as well."

"Isn't Airbending enough of a weapon?"

"These weapons merely enhance our bending Aang. We would never attempt to alter our Airbending in such a way."

"There has to be another way. All life is sacred, you taught me that yourselves!"

"Aang this is being done in self defense, surely you would not stand idly by as someone attacked you. We will not strike unless they do."

Aang could see this was going to be the best answer he was going to get, but he needed to find a way to avoid war at all costs. The Balance of the World was already on the edge of being thrown horribly off…he couldn't fail at being the Avatar before he even began.

"We should be going now. Aang and I have a long trip to the North Pole."

Appa had his saddlebags loaded with several grains, fruits and some heavier clothing for the cold weather of the North. Gyatso had also grabbed a map of the world. If Appa flew full speed and there were very little detours, they would reach the North Pole quickly.

Goodbyes were quick as the two departed. Their course would take them over parts of the Fire Nation and over a large portion of the Earth Kingdom. Aang was pleased to hear that they would make a stop in Omashu , he could visit his friend Bumi while he was there. Maybe if he could get away from Gyatso long enough, he could ride the delivery system like he had a few months ago.

The trip was getting boring, nothing below them but endless ocean with the occasional island in the distance. Aang even thought he saw an island moving on its own but thought nothing more of it. Soon a grouping of islands appeared on the horizon.

"We will soon fly over the remains of Roku Island. The only structure remaining is the Temple the Avatar himself built. One day you shall visit this temple upon learning Firebending."

Sure enough they flew over a crescent shaped island, it was mostly hardened magma but a lone building stood tall, it looked like quite the spiritual place. A couple of men called Fire Sages stood on a balcony and offered a friendly wave as the two passed.

"See, the Fire Nation can't be all bad," Aang said.

"The Fire Sages may be in the Fire Nation but their loyalty is to the Avatar first. I can only hope they do not succumb to the delusions Fire Lord Sozin has before you are done with your training."

"Is that possible?"

"Sozin is quite a persuasive man. I have only met him once and felt quite uneasy around him the whole time."

Aang had forgotten Gyatso had traveled the world on a few occasions, for him to be uneasy around anyone was a new feeling to Aang.

"Come young one. We can get some practice in while Appa flies smoothly. Even though you are a Master, there are certain things you have yet to learn."

"Like what?"

Gyatso sighed and became very serious, "Aang we have taught you self defending Airbending so far. But now that you are a Master and the Avatar, you must learn….lethal Airbending…"

"Lethal? As in kill?" gasped a horrified Aang.

"We usually only teach this skills to only the most advanced of our race. It is your choice if you want to use these techniques but you must still learn them."

Aang nodded but was still mortified, he was no fool and knew Airbending could be lethal, he just never thought he would be one to learn the techniques.

"Let us start with the Air Dart. It is a small concentrated projectile of air that travels at high velocity and picks up speed while it travels towards its target. It is designed to pass through several targets before losing its form and dispersing. If it hits the right place, the person will not survive. So, Aang, if you would please draw some water out of those clouds and freeze them into a few small sized ice shards.."

Aang did as Gyatso asked. Next Gyatso showed him the technique. It was the usual Airbending stance but before Air was actual bent, Gyato stood. Now he was in more of a Firebenders stance, it was odd to see an Airbender in such a hostile, offensive position. Gyatso shot a hand forward, his first two fingers extended, a small dart just like he had said formed and spun into and oval shape. It continued to spin until it looked almost solid. Gyatso took quick aim and fired it at one of the shards. Upon contact the shard shattered instantly and the Dart dispersed.

"I want you to practice the stance before you start forming the Air Dart. After a while I will show you how you can direct the Dart wherever you want it to go rather than just a straight path. While this technique can be deadly, it can also be easily stopped or avoiding, it is all about timing. And of course what I showed you was a very slow demonstration; most of us Elders can rapidly fire the Darts in mere seconds. So Aang if you would begin.."

For nearly an hour Aang repeatedly performed the stance until he was able to get into "firing" position in just a couple seconds. Once he did this, Gyato allowed him to finally begin attempting the technique. The first attempts were pretty bad, Aang missed his target by quite a lot, the second time he couldn't control the spinning part and it nearly blew him off of Appa. It was nearly nightfall before Aang finally hit his target dead on.

"Good work Aang. But it is getting dark and Appa seems to be getting a bit tired. Kyoshi Island is nearing us, we should probably rest there for the night."

Kyoshi Island was another place Aang once visited, he had learned how to ride giant fish called Elephant Koi.

"It would seem they are celebrating something," Gyatso noted as he looked over Appas saddle. Aang also looked over the side of Appa and saw the small island brightly illuminated. Something didn't seem right about the light…it was giving off too much heat to be just tea lights or fireworks.

"Gyatso…I don't think it's a celebration…"

As Appa flew closer, Aang was right…Kyoshi Island was on fire.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Aang steered Appa around the island in a circle. The only place that wasn't burning was near their docks where a large metal ship was docked. Typically the Fire Nation had metal ships in their Navy but this one looked different, as though it hadn't seen much repair in the last few years.

"Rogue Fire Nation soldiers?" Aang called back to Gyatso.

"It appears so. I wonder what provoked them to start such a large fire. Come Aang, I will help you in extinguishing these flames."

Appa landed on one of the docks and Aang immediately flung a wave of water and the flames, but the wave wasn't large enough and most of it turned to steam before it even hit the flames.

"Gyatso my Waterbending just isn't strong enough!"

"Air will only feed flames as strong as these," the Elder Monk said as he paused to think a moment, "I have an idea, follow my lead."

Gyatso whipped up a large size orb of air and let it sink below the surface of the harbor. When he brought it above the surface it was filled with several gallons of water. Quickly Gyatso flung the orb over a group of houses. The water splashed out and extinguished the fire almost immediately. It didn't take long for the pair to put out most of the flames.

"We have to find those responsible," Aang said angrily.

"Don't hurt yourself pipsqueak," said a voice behind Aang. Both Airbenders turned around to see a tall, muscular man exiting the ship. "I don't take it well when people won't help us. We need some supplies and they called us pirates," he chuckled, "Pirates is such a harsh term, I prefer bandit myself, sounds classier."

"You nearly destroyed all of this village because they wouldn't give into your demands?"

"So what of it, I've done the same to a few others, it's what we do. Sooner or later people will give us what we want without a fight and no one gets hurt. Only one town got spared because of some meddlesome Airbender. He was a bit older than you and a lot younger than you."

"That's not fair!" Aang cried out. "You can't just run around hurting people if they don't do what you want."

"I think I've made it clear I do not care."

Gyatso shifted slightly at Aang's side but remained still and silent otherwise.

"And what about you old man? Don't you care?"

Gyato continued his statue-like appearance. This seemed to be the first thing to tick the man off.

"I am talking to you! Do not ignore me!"

The following scene appeared to move extremely slow yet fast at the same time for Aang. The man threw his arm back, creating a fire whip in the process. He brought it forward to lash out at Gyatso but before it so much as got halfway to its destination Gyatso vanished.

"Uh…wha.." The man stood confused. He turned around and found Gyatso standing before him.

"How did you do that?" roared the pirate. Again he attempted to attack Gyatso but this time Gyatso didn't flee but rather struck his palm out square into the man's chest. A loud rustling echoed off of the metal ship, an instant later the pirate was flying through the air. He cleared the railing of his ship and landed in a crumpled heap on the deck.

Once he untangled himself from himself the Captain began swearing up a storm and that commotion brought about his crew. More shouting followed by the crew storming down the loading dock towards Gyatso and Aang, fists ablaze.

"Prepare yourself Aang, it would appear we disturbed the hornets nest."

Several volleys of fire shot towards them. Aang swung his staff out in front of him and blew the fireballs harmlessly into the water. Three of the crew members converged on Gyatso once they reached the pair. It appeared the Elder Monk was toying with them until a slim one jabbed Gyatso in the arm several times. It suddenly got serious when Gyatso's are went limp, the Elder got a ominious look on his face and blasted away two of the men with a vicious slice of air. But his attacker got him in the other arm. Gyato responded by inhaling deeply and blowing the man off his feet, unfortunately Gyatso flew back several feet and couldn't keep his balance.

The two men he had previous blown away ran up to him only to be launched into the water by a couple of air blasts Gyatso managed from his feet. Aang ran towards Gyatso but was halted by a wall of fire, once he cleared it he saw at least four or five men around Gyatso. The Elder Monk appeared to be struggling with so many people around him and two of his resource incapacitated. One of the men drew back his hand and created a large fireball.

"This'll teach ya to mess with us," he cackled.

In an instant Aang felt his anger spike and along with it something odd happened. Just like a month ago when he was in danger of drowning, Aangs vision went white and the power flowing through his body was tremendous. He felt himself bend water with ease and bring it crashing into the pirates without harming Gyatso. The Captain attempt to fire at Aang but he only caught the fireball and doubled its size before shooting it into the hull of the ship. Screeching metal, combined with a fiery explosion filled the night air. Aang could feel himself hovering by way of Air Tornado, he surveyed his surrounding and determined the pirates had fled and Gyatso appeared to be safe. The Elder Monk had gotten to his feet and his arms were moving, even it they did appear very sluggish. Upon seeing this Aang felt the power slowly drain from his limbs and he settled down at the end of the dock. He look towards Gyatso and smiled.

"You're okay," he smiled, Gyato nodded and returned the smile. And that was the last thing Aang remember of that night before he passed out.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Aang slowly opened his eyes, his head pounding from the strain he had experienced.

"Slowly young one," Gyatso said as Aang sat up.

"Where are we?"

"We have reached Omashu. The pirates fled shortly after you defeated them. The people of Kyoshi watched over you while I searched the island for them but I was unsuccessful in my efforts. In the morning we loaded you on Appa and flew here immediately."

Sure enough Aang could see the sharp incline of the city of Omashu through a small window next to his bed. Their great delivery system as busy as ever, carts and packages flying all over the city by way of Earthbending.

"We cannot stay long Aang, the North Pole awaits. Meet me back here a midday and we will continue on, we should reach the Northern Tribe in two days since Appa is fully rested."

"Great! I can go visit Bumi!"

"Yes, visit your friend."

Aang leapt up and ran out of the room. If he knew Bumi, he would be in the large room filled with many gadgets and rock candy, Bumi was very fond of rock candy. Aang had tried to eat the stuff once but very nearly broke his jaw on the first bite, it must be an Earthbender treat.

Aang arrived at the door where Bumi spent most of his time scheming of new ways to have fun. Before he could knock the stone door flew open and cackle issued from inside.

"Come in Aang! I felt the pitter patter of your feet from quite a distance."

A huge smile broke out on Aang's face, Bumi was also very talented. It was no doubt that he would be a legendary Earthbender one day and achieve great things.

"To what do I owe this visit?"

Aang explained what he was doing in Omashu. Bumi looked at him and shrugged.

"Sounds boring, playing with Firebender pirates. They always want to ruin fun and scorch things."

"So Bumi, what are you working on?"

"Nothing special, trying to create a new type of rock candy that will dance on your tongue."

"Um…dance?"

"Fizzle! Pop! Anyway you want to describe it!"

"I think I can help with that Bumi. Bend that piece into any shape."

Bumi did as Aang said while the Airbender blew a gentle gust of air at the candy. Aang had Bumi continuously morphed the candy until several small air bubbled where trapped inside.

"Now try it."

The Earthbender took a crunching bite, chewed for a bit and a huge smile broke out on his face.

"So that's what I was missing! Airbending!"

For the next couple of hours the two made massive amounts of the new candy. Bumi was ecstatic about the whole thing but Aang noticed it was nearing midday.

"Bumi, I have to be going soon to continue my Avatar training. What say we take a ride on the delivery system?"

"Excellent. I can deliver some of this new rock candy on our way."

A while later Aang realized Bumi wasn't making a delivery to anywhere specific, he was just tossing the candy over the side of the cart they had jumped on. Some things Aang would never understand about his friend. What he did understand though is they both loved flying up and down the curves of the chutes that went all over Omashu. They could easily control the speed with a combination of Earth and Air. It was funny how elemental opposites worked so well with each other. Unfortunately their ride had to end.

"Farewell Aang. We will see each other again."

"You know it Bumi!"

Bumi snorted and walked away chewing on more candy while Aang went to meet Gyatso. He found the Elder meditating in the same spot he left him.

"Gyatso.."

"Have fun with your friend Aang?" Gyatso said softly without opening his eyes. Aang nodded and began packing their few things. Appa was nearby and the two Airbenders climbed into his saddle.

"I believe it is time for another lesson Aang," Gyatso said once they were in the air, Omashu quickly growing smaller behind them.

"Is it another…lethal technique..?"

"It can be. This one is more about technique and self defense."

Aang nodded, "I'm ready."

"I am going to show you how those Firebenders were able to defeat me. This will be a major skill for you as the Avatar. With this technique you could incapacitate any enemies without so much as bending even a drop of water. It is called chi-blocking.."

Aang remembered seeing a couple of the men quickly jab Gyatso in his arm, effectively disabling the Airbending Master.

"How does that work?"

"They struck my pressure points throughout my arm. One quick, well placed jab is all it takes to prevent me from bending since the chi flowing through my arm would be blocked. If they jab hard enough my arm is temporarily paralyzed. This can only be lethal if you strike hard enough at the base of the neck, which I do not recommend."

"How are we going to train for this?"

"We will have to spar with each other. First I shall jab you just enough to show the effects and then how to counter someone from chi-blocking."

"If there is a counter move then why didn't you counter it?"

"They caught me off guard, I was more concerned with your well being young one."

The training began and was pretty brutal for Aang. Gyatso leapt at him so quickly Aang didn't realize his arm had gone numb until Gyatso sat cross-legged in front of him again.

"Now hit me with your most powerful Air Blast."

Aang went to do as told but his arm would not respond.

"The paralysis should wear off in about 5 minutes. Now come, I will show you all of the major pressure points targeted in chi blocking."

They flew for the rest of the day, discussing all of the advantages and disadvantage of chi blocking. It took Aang several hours but he was finally able to disable one of Gyatsos arms. Unfortunately Aang was also covered in several small bruises and his arms were slightly tingling from Gyatso countering his every move.

"Well done Aang. We will practice every other day until you can effectively bring me down as though I was going to take your life."

"I don't want to harm you Gyatso."

"Do not fear Aang, I have taken much more punishment in my life time."

Aang could only imagine what kind of adventures Gyatso had gone on in his past, most of them making him the living legend he now was.

There was a considerable drop in temperature the further North they traveled, it was dropping even faster now that the sun was lowering. It wasn't long before the Earth Kingdom itself disappeared and they flew once again over open ocean with icebergs dotting the horizon. Aang was going to suggest making camp for the night but Gyatso spoke up first.

"I believe we have reached our destination Aang, quite a bit ahead of schedule. The winds have been kind to your Bison."

"Gyatso…did you ever have a Bison?"

"I did…but my dear Lallaa came down with an illness we could not cure in enough time. She rests peacefully now. But her tales are for another time, behold the Northern Water Tribe."

In the fading sunlight the Tribe glowed a brilliant array of colors. Appa flew slightly faster, eager for a big mound of hay and long earned nap. A loud gong sounded the closer they got, Aang waved to the men posted in a watchtower. A small crowd was gathering in the city square.

The Chief stood at the front and immediately walked up to them, "Welcome Avatar Aang and Elder Monk Gyatso to the Northern Water Tribe!"

Aang opened his mouth to respond but suddenly without warning the Chief attacked the young Avatar.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Aang immediately tried to deflect the icicles with air but other Waterbenders flung up blocks of ice to block the gusts.

"Use your waterbending!" Gyatso called out.

Aang pulled the snow up in front of him. The icicles passed through but the snow had slowed them down enough that Aang hardly felt them. He wasted no time in retaliating by punching out his fist several times, hard blocks of snow flew at the Chief, who managed to deflect a few but one caught him in the stomach, knocking him down. Aang advanced upon the man and used the snow to stand him up, but he wasn't done as he surrounded the Chief in snow and made a face. The rest of the Tribe hollered with laughter at the sight before them. The snow exploded off the Chief as the man looked humiliated but also humbled.

"Impressive Avatar, there is a bit of Roku in you indeed. He was always a practical joker in his day. I wonder where he learned it from…" The Chief glared jokily in Gyatso's direction, who returned a big grin. Aang was utterly confused and yet felt like he knew what the Chief meant.

Following his test, Aang was shown all around the city. Everything was formed out of the ice and it was amazing. But nothing was quite as impressive as the Royal Palace. It was huge and the design was superb.

"Wow..."

"Admire all you like Avatar. One of your past lives helped build our Palace. It has stood for hundreds of years. It did not even shed a drop during the heat wave we experienced many years ago. Most of our buildings were melting but the Palace stood strong. It became the home for our whole Tribe; once the heat wave ended we rebuilt the city to be better than ever. Legend has it the Avatar built the Palace from the waters out of the Spirit Oasis."

"May I see the Spirit Oasis?"

"But of course. All Avatars visit it sooner or later, some many times. But be warned…while an extremely peaceful place. Do not be caught there in the full moon. Avatar Kuruk lost his bride while wedding her at that very place and time."

"What happened?"

"No mortal really knows, except Kuruk became drunk with anger for a short while. He was quite the laid back person until that event. He spent the rest of his days meditating in the Oasis, many say he spent more time in the Spirit World than the Real World. Then, one day, someone went to get him and he had passed on, still in a meditating stance."

"I never knew that about him."

"Many do not; he did not accomplish much unlike some Avatars. He lived a great era of peace. Now why don't you go visit the Oasis and do not fear the full moon just passed so you have nothing to fear."

Aang nodded and traveled up a small set of stairs that went much beyond the Tribe. The Palace obscured everything from view once Aang reached the top. The entrance was welcoming and the symbol of Ying and Yang stood over the opening. When Aang entered he was shocked that it was as warm as a summer's day. Lush, green grass was neatly trimmed around a medium sized pond. Two koi fish circled each other endlessly, one white and one black. Aang sat at the pond's edge to watch them. They were so graceful, neither missing a beat. It hit Aang that these two were life partners.

But…something was different about these two…

The longer Aang stared at them the more fixated he became…

Tui…

La…

Moon…

Ocean…

The tattoos encircling the young Avatars body suddenly lit up, illuminating the entire Spiritual Oasis.

When Aang opened his eyes he was no longer in the Oasis. He instead was in some murky looking swamp, everything an odd brown color. He rubbed his eyes but the brownish haze was still there.

"Hello?" he called out, his voice echoing for what seemed like miles.

Aang walked around for a short while, trying to figure out where he was. When he looked down he nearly jumped out of his skin. Looking back at him from the murky water was Avatar Roku.

"Yikes! I must be dreaming!"

"No Aang. This is no dream."

Roku rose up out of the water and guided Aang to the nearby shore. A strange looking monkey of some sort was muttering to itself not too far away.

"What brings to you here Aang?"

"I was at the Northern Tribe. They had me visit the Spirit Oasis and I saw these two fish…the next thing I remember is this place."

"Tui and La," Roku said.

"Who?"

"The Ocean and Moon Spirits. They must have transported you here for a reason."

"There are Spirits in our world?"

Roku nodded, "They have their reasons."

"Why did they bring me here? Is something wrong?"

"Hmm. I believe I know why you are here. I have been monitoring the Fire Nation as of late. Fire Lord Sozin has been mass producing new war machines he calls tanks. They are capable of scaling mountainsides and pack quite a punch. The amount of troops he has enlisted has surprised me, even more so that most of them willingly joined."

Aang was horrified, "Do they know where the Temples are?"

"I'm afraid so. It is only a matter of time. I have talked with the other Avatars and we believe it is in your best interest to get a little help Mastering the Elements."

"What? How?"

"Well the Comet is going to arrive much sooner than we thought. At the rate things are going you would only be a novice Earthbender. And learning Firebending is going to be exceptionally difficult at this stage. We cannot help you learn them all at once but we can give you the knowledge to become a Master Waterbender."

Aang stared long and hard at Roku.

"I want to you to find the Order of the White Lotus Aang. There will be Firebenders who can help or so I hope."

"Roku?"

"Yes Aang?"

"I can't accept the knowledge to accelerate my training."

It was Roku's turn to be horrified.

"But why not Aang? The Balance of the World needs you!"

"Exactly…every Avatar has worked hard to Master the Elements. Most of you got a lifetime to Master them. I only have a couple of months at this time but I WILL Master them. We have Mastered the Elements a thousand times in a thousand lifetimes. I may have no time at all but I will not…cheat! Sozin is using the Comet to become more powerful and what you all want me to do is no different!"

Roku stared at Aang and smiled.

"Very well Aang. But we do need to work on the Avatar State. It will become very useful when you enevitably confront the Fire Nation head on. Return to the Real World for now but return to the Spirit Oasis every night at midnight when the moon is highest and I will train you."

Aang bowed to Roku in response. It was very exciting that his past life was going to train him. He was nervous about the Avatar State as both times he had entered it left him drained of energy. Roku lead Aang back into the murky water.

"Remember Aang, midnight. No full moons."

And with that Roku touched the tip of his forehead arrow. A bright flash of light left Aang blinking in the dim light of the Spirit Oasis. He stood and made directly for Gyatso, he would never believe this


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I apologize for such a gap in updates. Having a newborn has consumed much of my time. With Book 1 of Korra wrapped up I had to chug out some of my ideas. **

Chapter 8

Aang worked tediously for the next couple of weeks. Naturally it wasn't long before he surpassed all other students and was very close to matching the skills of the best Waterbenders the Tribes had to offer.

One cloudy night, as he had done for days now Aang slipped up to the Spirit Oasis whilst the others slumbered peacefully. Aang took his seat in the small patch of land that extended into the water and waited for Roku to contact him. It wasn't long before the wise elder's imaged shimmered in the water. But he looked panicked.

"Aang! You must leave immediately! It is the full moon, didn't anyone tell you!"

With a comical look of confusion and horror the young Avatar leapt to his feet but the Oasis suddenly began to bubble furiously. It frothed over the edges. An ominous voice rang throughout the sanctuary.

"Mmmm…it feels good to stretch my legs…"

Even with the cloud cover making it very dark, Aang didn't need his eyes to know something very large had just exited the pool. He could hear a slithering and clicking of some sort.

"I know you are there," Aang said, trying to be brave.

"Well of course you do…after all you are the connection between the two worlds. Without you here tonight I would have never been able to….hmm…have a night on the town."

The spirits evil chuckle echoed off the cliffs behind them.

"What do you want Face Stealer?"

"I believe you just answered your own question my old friend."

Roku's voice echoed in Aang's mind, "He has no powers in the physical world. He works by deception and stealth to drag his victims into the Spirit World. If you can keep him busy until sunrise, he will be trapped."

"Are you sure it's a good idea to trap such a monster in the Real World?" Aang thought

"He won't have another chance until the next full moon to return home, by then we may be able to vanquish him."

"I will do my best Roku.."

Aang faced the monstrous spirit, "HEY KOH!"

The monster faced him, the variety of faces constantly shifting.

"What is it? I'm in rather of a hurry…"

Aang quickly flung a snowball at the spirit, striking him in the face.

Koh sputtered, "I don't have time for games child! Now out of my way!"

He brushed past Aang and headed towards the town, his massive body leaving a huge trail in the snow.

"Not so fast!" Aang leapt high in the air and pulled out his staff. Spinning it wildly he sent a gust of wind at the snow and it instantly froze underneath Koh, causing the spirit to slip a bit and slid the rest of the way down the hill. Landing in a heap, he hissed loudly.

"Enough! Do not tempt me to ruin another Avatars life!"

Aang felt a twinge of anger for some reason, some part of him didn't sit well with what Koh had just said. A chill ran up his spine..

"Shut…up…Koh!"

The spirit grinned and uttered another evil laugh.

"Do I smell a little bit of Avatar…Kuruk? Ohhh how I would love to dance with him again, we never did get to settle our differences."

Aang felt another presences in his own body and before he knew it and water spout had lifted him into the air and he was speaking in two voices.

"Monster!" he shouted. It was like Aang was in the back of his mind as his arm shot forward, a tendril of water slamming into the massive spirit. Koh hollered in pain, something Aang didn't know was capable. It made sense that he could be harmed in the Real World.

A voice spoke to Aang, this time it was Roku but a deep laidback voice with a hint of anger and resentment.

"Let me take it from here young one. Koh and I need to settle this. If I can help you stall him I WILL finish this beast once and for all!"

Kuruk shot forward, moving Aang's arms wildly, forming massive icicles around the young airbender. From across the clearing Koh was charging, the ground rumbling under his large body. The two aimed directly for each other….


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

A swift burst of air prevented Aang/Kuruk from colliding with Koh. The spirit swung around to face the Avatar and prepared to charge again. Aang felt a new sensation flow through his limbs, it was all so foreign and as he smacked his hands together two slabs of Earth squashed Koh between them.

Earthbending made Aang feel itchy, probably because unlike Airbending it was such a heavy feeling. Kuruk continue his full on charge at the beast, flinging shards of ice and rock together. They struck him quite painfully, causing the monster to roar in pain and fury.

All of the commotion had woken the whole village and it wasn't long before every Waterbender came running up the path to see what was going on. From what they could see Aang was doing battle with a giant centipede with several shifting faces.

"What in the Spirits is that?" The Chief exclaimed.

"Precisely that," Gyatso said lowly. The old monk had approached soundlessly, startling The Chief. "He is a terrible Spirit by the name of Koh. Known otherwise as the Face Stealer, I believe he is linked with Avatar Kuruk as your legends tell Chief."

"Ah yes…the description of the beast was never quite accurate. It is much more hideous in person. Shouldn't we be helping the Avatar?"

"He has all the help he needs, Avatar Kuruk is channeling his energy through Aang. It would seem he wants to settle the score with Koh."

"And how do you know all of this?"

"You should meditate Chief, your vision will clear."

The Chief stared at the monk and then resumed watching the Avatar and Spirit do battle. Koh had just landed a vicious blow to Aang that had sent him into the cliffside. The Spirit stood for a moment before realizing there was an audience.

"Ahh I see my dinner has delivered itself. How delightful!"

He slithered towards the crowd, immediately the Waterbenders began to conjure water whips but they seemed to have no effect on the monster. He snatched a guard in some in his claws and scurried quickly towards the Spirit Oasis. He was nearly there when the pool exploded, Aang surfaced, his tattoos glowing brilliantly. It would appear Kuruk was not the only Avatar aiding Aang now.

"You shall no longer terrorize the innocent people of this realm Koh!"

Tui and La swam in circles around Aang, faster and faster they swam. The full moon broke through the cloud cover as a beam of light which struck Aang. In turn the young Avatar opened a palm towards the enraged Spirit, who was currently charging the Avatar yet again. The beam of light from the moon shot from Aangs hand and struck the monster.

"What is this?" Koh screeched. He began to writhe and wriggle on the snowy earth, convulsing as the beam engulfed him. His screams got louder and louder until they seemed to lose their ominous tone. Slowly the dazzlingly light faded and the moon disappeared behind the clouds once again. Aang lowered himself onto the pool and walked back to the ground. His tattoos ceased to glow and the Moon and Ocean Spirits returned to their eternal dance.

In place of Koh stood a ragged looking man, he looked terribly disoriented as he took a shaky step forward. Immediately the man lost his balance and tumbled into a snow bank.

"That would be Koh," Gyatso said, answered an unasked question.

"What have you done….how…" gasped Koh.

"You are harmless now Koh. You are no longer a spirit and have lost your immortality," it was Kuruk speaking again through Aang.

"But I am one of the Ancient Spirits! You can't do this to me!"

"You abused your status and now have faced justice. You are cursed to live the remainder of your days as a human being. You have no bending abilities. Now begone with you! You are banished from ever entering a Water Tribe village again!"

With that Koh ceased to protest, rose shakily to his feet and walked past the village people. He looked once back at Aang.

"You will pay for this Avatar! I know secrets none of your past lives have even dreamed about! Mark my words..you..will..suffer!"

And with that Koh disappeared into the night. Kuruk released his control of Aang, he appeared before Aang and the village in spirit form.

"Thank you Aang. I can finally rest easy now that my betrothed has been released from that monsters grip. I just need to locate her spirit now. You have done well and I am proud to declare you a full fledged Waterbender."

Kuruk faded from sight and Aang left the Oasis to greet Gyatso.

"Well done young monk, well done."

The Chief even offered his congratulations, "I think this calls for a feast! But first…let's get some rest!"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The wind blew fiercely and sand whipped at his face. He had been in this forsaken desert for days and couldn't quite find it. It had to be around here somewhere. He crested another dune and saw more endless hills of sand.

He fell to his knees and wailed. The frustration was overwhelming. He reached into the pocket on his traveling robe and opened the scroll. It was a map which apparently said he was in the correct spot. He pitched the scroll aside and returned to his feet. As he prepared to descend down the dune his foot got snagged on something, sending him tumbling down into the small valley.

Screaming in frustration again, he righted himself and brushed off the sand. Furious he climbed the dune to see what he had tripped on. It was a small stone spire, the kind you see on the top of a very large building.

The sudden realization struck him as he scrambled to retrieve the discarded scroll. The spire on the map matched this spire.

"Hmmm…it appears I need to start digging," the man said with an evil chuckle…

* * *

**Meanwhile...**

It had been a month or so since Aang's battle with Koh. He and Gyatso had left the Northern Water Tribe already and made a beeline to Kyoshi Island. Gyatso said Aang would learn something from walking the grounds of his past life, Avatar Kyoshi.

The island was beautiful with many historical sites detailing Kyoshis life. At one point she had defeated an Earthbender Warlord bent on dominating the entire Earth Kingdom. Kyoshi merely split her home away from the mainland and the Warlord defeated himself.

Aang was introduced to the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors. She was a tall stocky woman by the name of Kari. She was the only Earthbender among her group of warriors and had accepted the role as his Earthbending teacher. While Aang had Earthbent before, without the help of the other Avatars, it was proving to be quite difficult.

"Again!"

Aang stomped hard on the ground and only managed to make a couple of pebbles wiggle. His objective was to make the large boulder next to him levitate.

"You must center your mass! Anchor yourself…be part of the earth."

"I'm trying…"

When you are someone who is light as air, it was exceptionally difficult. So Aang widened his stance and stiffened his body. He lifted his foot and stomped again. This time the pebble shot straight into the air but the boulder remained still. Aang hung his head.

"That was a bit better. I know how difficult it must be. My Grandmother had the hardest time learning Firebending oddly enough. Even though she had a fierce heart she wasn't the most agile of people. But after years of tedious training, she too mastered it."

"I don't have years….wait, you're Kyoshi's granddaughter?"

"That is correct. My mother learned from her and I from my mother."

"Are you skilled with the fans?"

"To some degree yes."

Aang's face contorted as he began to think, the look on his face startled Kari a bit. "Avatar? What is-"

"I've got it!" Aang hollered "Train me with the fans!"

"Of course… using your own element to pave the way for Earthbending. The student really is the Master at times Young Avatar."

Kari retrieved a pair of fans for the two. She instructed Aang on the specific movements, firing cabbage sized rocks into the air easily. At first Aang was only able to fire blasts of air from the fans. With these his Airbending was amplified and one attempt nearly blew Kari away.

"You are not focusing on Earthbending!" she yelled over the winds. "Center yourself!"

Aang stomped his feet into stance again. He brought the fans down sharply as he stomped, the force of his stomp released a gust of air that launched him several hundred feet into the air. But he also noticed something else, the boulder was following him. Aang's joy at finally doing it was cut short as he began to fall. Without his glider it wasn't going to be a pretty landing.

Another idea snapped into Aang's head. He removed the ties keeping his boots on and tied the fans quickly to his feet. Using his bending he manipulated them so he was somewhat walking on air. But the boulder continued to fall.

Kari watched the scene unfold from the ground, Aang had no way to center himself so she was sure she would have to step in at the last moment to prevent the boulder from causing any damage. But the Young Avatar would surprise her again. Controlling the air currents around him Aang got himself upright. The ground was rapidly approaching and the boulder was several feet below him. Taking his stance he shot his hand out and drew it back towards his body, the boulder did slow but still fell rapidly. Aang continued to try but he just couldn't get a grasp on the boulder.

Kari shot a fist into the air and the boulder burst into a cloud of dust while Aang gently floated down onto the ground. He was out of breath and looked close to passing out.

"Well done Aang. You may just get this yet. We will finish for the day, you need some nourishment."

* * *

**Meanwhile...**

Piles of sand surrounded him but he finally unburied a small opening and he was about to crawl in. It was a mistake as he plummeted several feet before an updraft slowed his descent. He grabbed an old vine that was plastered to the wall and eased his way down.

He ended up on a narrow walkway; the sound of feathers rustling greeted his ears. A dark shadow darted overhead and a large figure landed behind him. In the dim light the man turned to see a massive owl facing him. They were nose to beak before the creature spoke.

"To what do I owe the pleasure…Koh."


	11. Chapter 11

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Chapter 11

Aang shot his arm forward, slicing the boulder cleanly in half with his water whip. No sooner had he done that, he had to launch himself into the air to avoid Kari's fan blade. She attacked him in the air with a barrage of rocks which Aang masterfully avoided with help from his glider.

"Good Aang but let's see some Earthbending!" she said, hurling an especially large boulder at him.

Aang brought both hands above his head, impaling the boulder with a spire.

"Excellent move!"

Aang did not acknowledge the compliment but rather surrounded himself in a ball of Earth. This confused Kari as she had given him no reason to put up such defensive measures.

"Aang?"

Without warning the ball exploded, sending chunks of rock her direction while the Avatar closed in. Before Kari could so much and form a rock Aang had his staff pointed directly at her. They both knew she could easily avoid any attack but instead she raised both hands.

"I surrender Avatar."

Aang cocked his head to the side, raised his staff quickly...and placed it on his back. Kari reached for a hand shake, but when Aang returned the gestured she tightened her grip. The dirt around Aang crawled up his body forming a cast in which he could not move.

It was beginning to cover his face, creeping to his mouth.

"You have the power Aang, use it!" Kari demanded of the struggling Avatar. Instead of fighting Aang grew very still, his breathing ceased. Kari immediately thought she had killed the Avatar. She rushed forward when Aang snapped his eyes open, they were glowing hot white.

"Enough!" erupted several voices from Aang. The cocoon shattered and the Avatar swung around to face Kari. Aang had a horrible look of anger on his face.

"A-ang, it was all a training exercise. I promise you were in no harm." kari said kneeling before him.

The Avatar did not listen. He slammed her against a boulder far harder than she had ever imagined he could. Before Aang could regain a grip on her his eyes flickered and reverted to their pale grey. They rolled back and the young boy fainted.

Kari lifted Aang over her shoulder and carried him back to the nearby hut he was sharing with Gyatso. The old monk did not appear to be present so she laid Aang on one of the beds inside when the door opened.

"Ah, Gyatso, glad you have returned Aan-...g"

It was not Gyatso.

Rather it was an aging man dressed in crimson battle armor. He had a menacing sense about him. Kari looked on in shock as it dawned on her who this must be.

"Fird Lord Sozin! W-what do I owe the pleasure of you visiting Kyoshi Island?" she spat out nervously. She knew the relationship between the Fire Nation and the other nations were extremely strained.

"I have come for the boy, he is to be instructed in Firebending. We saw you two spar and it would appear he is well versed in the ways of Earthbending."

"I am afraid he will have to wait just a short while longer, he needs to pass his test before a council in Omashu and one also in Ba Sing Sei."

"You do not understand," the Fire Lord said softly, he looked up at her, eyes blazing. His palm sparked to life in an instant. "I wasn't asking."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Kari looked at the flame in his hand, "We can resolve this peacefully…"

"Yes, we can. By giving me the boy."

"He just had quite an experience. At such a young age the Avatar State drained him of most of his energy."

"That just means less of a struggle for us."

"I can't let that happen," Kari growled, the earth hut rumbling, cracks appeared in the ceiling.

"Now now Earthbender, one pebble in my direction and that will be seen as a declaration of war…am I clear?"

She froze…he was right. If he attacked her it wouldn't be seen as war because she had no diplomatic rights. He was the Fire Lord on the other hand…

"But you can't just take him! He needs to earn his Mastery in Earthbending, think about the cycle."

"My dear that is all I am thinking about."

"Disrupting it?!"

"Precisely"

The Fire Lord brushed past her and reached for Aangs collar. He barely had close his grip when an intense wind howled through the hut.

"What in the spirits?!"

A flash of something sped by them both and before they could look again it was gone…and so was Aang.

"WHAT!" Kari and Sozin both exclaimed. The Fire Lord tore out of the hut, hollering orders to his guards, steaming flowing from his nostrils, "We need to find him before it arrives! We don't have long, I can feel it."

This confused Kari but not as much as a small scroll she found oddly in her hand. She quickly unrolled it and read:

_I have Aang. We will proceed immediately to Omashu for his Earthbending test. We will be safe there. I will notify the Order, Sozin has stepped over the line for the last time._

_Gyatso_

The Earthbender let out a sigh of relief now that she knew Aang was out of harm's way and headed for safety. Kari felt the Pai Sho tile in her pocket and also decided to write a few letters.

Gyatso let out a shrill whistle that only Sky Bison could interpret as a calling. Appa met them on the northern beach of the island. Gyatso sped to the saddle.

"We must get Aang to safety. Fly like you never have!"

Aang kicked off with his tail and immediately flew north. Even in the dimming light, Appa did not slow. He knew something was wrong ever since the smell of coal permeated the normally fresh air of Kyoshi Island. The old man was yelling something to Appa, he only understood the word Omashu so he set course as he and Aang had been there several times.

They flew almost until dawn until the familiar steep city of Omashu appeared after flying over a mountain peak. Several people dressed in robes with a White Lotus patterened on met them in the courtyard.

"The Avatar is safe?" said a tan, bearded man.

"Yes. Though had I not sensed the danger right away, we may not have him."

"Fire Lord Sozin will pay dearly for this."

"He will face justice. Though we do need to coax him into the first attack. His attempt to kidnap the Avatar is not seen as an attack on any one nation."

Aang was finally beginning to stir, sitting up and groaning.

"My…my head hurts. Did I drop a boulder on my head?"

"I will explain later Aang. For now, I need to ask you something.."

"Sure Gyatso."

"What did you learn from Avatar Roku in the Sanctuary?"

Aang looked at him with a horrified look and explained what the wise Avatar had revealed to him. He also explained his nightmares of burning temples and a traitor amongst the Nomads.

"Those are no mere dreams Aang, you are seeing glimpses of the future. It would sound like Sozin will achieve what he wants with this Comet. We need to save our race though and make it seem like he wiped us all out."

"No. I will change this. He will not wipe out my people trying to find me."

The Order members and Gyatso all stared at Aang for quite a while, until Gyatso once again spoke.

"We need to precede quickly with your Earthbending Mastery tests and then we shall visit the Eastern Air Temple. Meet us here tomorrow at dawn Aang."

Aang bowed. During the conversation he realized he was in Omashu and excitedly hurried off to find Bumi. After Aang had disappeared toward the Palace Gyatso turned back to the White Lotus members and pulled out a scroll.

"We need to strike the Fire Nation before they strike us. It is against my society's ways to promote violence but luckily we had a lengthy debate and for the good of the world we will follow through providing the other nations agree."

Gyato unrolled it on a table. The title read: Operation Eclipse.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Wan Shi Tong stood motionless as Koh recited what had happened at the Northern Water Tribe. It wasn't a long story but it visibly upset the once monstrous spirit.

"Peculiar…how could one as powerful as you be subject to such curses?" the owl questioned.

"That is why I am here. Those…_fish_," he spat, "are only a couple of the small handful more ancient than myself. They stripped me of my immortality and I can feel this disgusting forms weakness of death inching closer. I have never felt the pressure of time so heavily….so, can you help me?"

"I do not lend my library for those who seek to gain advantages over others."

"I seek only knowledge. I wish to know what they know, I will gain no advantage, merely level the playing field and regain what I have lost."

Wan Shi Tong stared at him, cocked his head a couple of times.

"Very well. You will find what they know on the twelfth level and you will find a way of restoring yourself on the fifteenth. Once that information has been obtained, you will leave my library."

"Of course." Koh bowed (nearly gagging as he never bowed to anyone) and proceeded to a spiraling stairway, a malicious grin on his face.

Aang was shocked when he discovered Bumi would administer the Earthbending test.

"Why Bumi?"

"You must face someone above your skill level but not above the level of your mind young one."

"What does that prove?"

"Simple. It is a test of raw skills."

Aang smiled, this test would be easy he thought as Earthbenders around them forced the Earth to create a dome above them. The rules were simple, only Earthbending was allowed, no time limit. The first one to be knocked out would lose.

Bumi entered the arena and flashed Aang a smile, which was returned.

"Never thought we would be doing this eh Aang?"

"Nope."

"I did!" Bumi snorted. While Aang took a moment to be confused a loud gong sounded and Bumi disappeared behind a boulder.

"Uh…Bumi?"

His voice echoed, "That meant start Aang!"

Just then a fist sized rock grazed past Aang's face. The Avatar scurried behind a spire and punched several times into it, creating a cloud of dust. Relying on his keen senses, Aang located Bumi but as he tried to encase him in stone, the Prince avoided every attack.

"You are too loud Aang," Bumi said into his ear before disappearing again.

Aang knew a few of Bumi's tricks from all the mischief they had gotten into. After the ear trick he always liked to run behind the nearest object and take the first right after that. The look on Bumi's face was priceless as Aang popped in front of him.

"I thought this was supposed to be a test of raw abilities."

"Hmmm, I do suppose you are right."

Bumi acted quickly, encasing himself in rock, covering every inch of his body. It created an armor of sorts as he took swing after swing at Aang. At one point Aang gained quite the upper hand as he merged the Rock-Bumi's arms with a spire and the Prince took a moment to disengage. But in the end Bumi was able to sink Aang's feet into the ground and being a novice Earthbender, Aang lost his secure footing and his Earthbending was highly ineffective.

Bumi stood over Aang with a rather large boulder over his head, ready to deal the blow to Aang.

"Knock me out Bumi, you've won."

"No I haven't Aang."

"Wha-? How?"

"I know you have more in you. Concentrate."

Aang relaxed his mind, felt the Earth around him. And without really meaning to he broke free of Bumi's grip, grabbed the Prince's arms, bound them behind his back with Earth and sat him down on the ground. As usual the strange boy was snorting with laughter.

"There we go!"

Another voice echoed across the arena, "That's enough Avatar Aang. You have passed this test. We wanted to see what you would do in the face of defeat. At first you were willing to accept defeat but in the end you were able to break free of your confines and disable your foe."

Aang smiled proudly, "What's next then?"

"For now you are done in Omashu. Ba Sing Sei lies ahead, your experience there will be quite different. Good luck to you Avatar."

Aang bid farewell to Bumi and quickly found Gyatso near Appa. Apparently he anticipated Aang's success as all of the saddle bags were packed with fresh supplies. They wasted no time in heading toward the Earth Kingdom Capitol.

Koh had searched shelf after shelf until he found several scrolls about Ancient Spirits. Several of them he knew, several of them he didn't. An entire scroll was dedicated to him and shockingly included his defeat at the hands of Avatars Aang and Kuruk. The scroll had something quite interesting though near the end:

_Koh lost the ability to function as a Spirit. This was done by severing his connection to the Spirit Realm and removing his Ancient Spirit. The Spirits of the Oasis locked away what is most precious to Koh. They have instructed the warriors of the Northern Tribe to constantly guard the Oasis as they are sure Koh will attempt to return to his previous self. _

Koh set down the scroll

"They have my Spirit. If I get my Spirit back I can return to the Spirit Realm…but how do I get my Spirit back from them. I haven't been human in a few thousand years…I will have to re-teach myself the battle skills I once had if I am to infiltrate the Spirit Oasis. Now to figure out how to get back what was taken from me…."


	14. Chapter 14

Aang had never actually been to Ba Sing Sie and the scrolls people had painted in an attempt to describe the city didn't even come close. Gyatso steered Appa to a small hut on an island in the center of a large lake.

"Why all the way out here?" Aang questioned.

"It is serene this far away from the city. I do not enjoy the crowds."

Aang was about to protest but then took in the scenery and noticed he was almost at home with low mountains not that far away and nature was….well, natural. He and Gyatso spent the first few hours of their stay meditating before a man clad in mossy green robes and a low wide brimmed hat could be seen approaching the island by boat. He introduced himself as an agent of the Dai Li, the King's personal body guards and peace keepers of the city.

"Our leader will be conducting your test Avatar. His family was originally trained by Avatar Kyoshi, so he will know if you have what it takes to be an Earthbender. Please report to the Royal Palace at dawn."

"Thank you sir" Gyatso bowed, Aang quickly following suit.

After a light lunch, Gyatso continued meditation but Aang was hard at work practicing his Earthbending. He jumped from pillar to pillar without the help of Airbending in order to perfect his balance. He made it harder and harder until Gyatso suggested he rest up for tomorrow and the two shares a small dinner.

"Rest well young one, tomorrow is a very important day."

"Will we get to see the city after?"

Gyatso looked at him for a moment, "I suppose I could handle it for one day but then we must leave. In these trying times a Firebending Master will not be easy to find or at least easy to convince to help us."

Dawn came very quickly for Aang who woke up slightly sore from his training. He forced down a breakfast of oatmeal and fruit before boarding Appa to fly into the heart of the city. The Avatar noticed Gyatso was not following.

"Is there something wrong Master?"

"No. I will not be joining you until after. I do not care for the stuffy political affairs of Ba Sing Sei," he replied quite sternly. "I shall meet you outside after it has finished. Now, go! You don't want to be late or they will be extra tough on you."

Appa launched himself towards the city. It just seemed to get larger the closer they got. The tiny speck that was the Royal Palace grew with each passing moment. A single Dai Li Agent awaited Aang as they landed. The Earthbender opened a massive decorated door to the interior of the Palace, which was also enormous.

After walking for several minutes the Agent stopped at another large door and opened it as well.

"You will find your test inside," was all he spoke.

The door closed behind Aang, who hadn't noticed it was very dim in this room. The air was hot and damp.

"H-hello?"

A loud whirring sound approached Aang who barely had time to dive aside as a disc of rock slammed into the wall behind him. His test must have started already but where was his assailant?!

In retaliation Aang flung several boulders and heared a grunt of pain. Smiling he advanced quickly but he noticed he wasn't moving as fast as he usually could. The dampness of the room hindered his Airbending.

"Clever.." he muttered, he would have to rely completely on Earthbending. Two figures suddenly erupted from the ground next to him and bound his hands instantly in stone. Aang flipped backwards as the two grabbed for him. They collided but recovered almost instantly as Aang worked on breaking his bounds. He tripped over a rock and felt backwards as they lunged for him again but a kick from the Avatar send one flying into the ceiling overhead while the other leapt onto a large stalagmite nearby. This remaining Agent brought down a hail of rocks that Aang was barely able to avoid.

By sheer luck did one of the rocks make contact with his shackles, shattering them. The Avatar leapt into the air and dove back down with both fists in front of him. The contact with the earth created a ripple and brought several rocks around him down, including the one with the Agent.

"Stop if you would for a moment Avatar!"

Aang did as he was told but another disc was flung from the distance at him. He had expected this type of deception but years of meditation had taught him to ignore such tricks. He shot his palms forward and the disc was flown back toward its original destination. Another painful grunt made Aang smirk. This time some torches were light around, finally illuminating the chamber a bit more to Aang, it was rather smaller than he anticipated.

"You have passed your first test Avatar. You must pass but one more to complete this portion of your quest."

"And that would be?"

"You must defeat the head of the Dai Li in one on one combat."

Aang nodded. "I'm ready."

A rather stout man approached him and instantly formed an arena. He had a long ponytail and spoke with the same voice that had called out to him, it was sort of menacing.

"This combat is simple; do not fall out of the ring at any time while doing all that you can to push me out."

This time it was Aang who launched a surprise attack but the man simple sliced the rock in half with his bare hand. Aang stood for a moment with a gaping jaw but was on the run as the man leapt at him. An idea suddenly formed in Aang's mind. He ran to the very edge of the ring and allowed the man to close in on him. He tried baiting him to leap at him again but the Head Dai Li was much cleverer than the regular Agents.

"That trick won't work Avatar, "he chuckled. He flung several tiny rocks at Aang's feet, trying to knock him off balance. While he was throwing these at him, Aang sunk the man to the shins in Earth. It took an extreme effort as he began to slide the man toward the edge.

"Clever Avatar!"

Aang felt himself sink and soon it was a tug of war to see who could win. The man was winning though as his superior knowledge of Earthbending was pushing Aang inches closer to losing. Another idea popped into his head and the closer the man pushed Aang to the edge of the ring, the further Aang pushed the line.

"Even better Avatar. Such determination to do what it takes to win!"

With the arena rapidly expanding it wasn't long before the whole room was the arena. Aang felt himself freed from the rock. The head of the Dai Li walked up to him and offered a hand.

"This was never about who could win but more about how creative you could become. You fended off my Agents without hardly sweating. You ignore distractions, truly an immobile Earthbender. And you beat me at my own game. I am proud to say you have Mastered Earthbending."

Aang let out a loud whoop of joy and thanked the man before rushing out of the Palace to find Gyatso for a long day on town. Back in the Palace, the Head of Dai Li sent a messenger hawk out the window of his office.

A couple of days later it arrived at none other but the Fire Nation Royal Palace. The grunt solder retrieved the note and rushed to the Fire Lord's chambers. He knocked momentarily before he entered.

"What is it now?"

"My Lord, urgent message…"

"Bring it here and leave immediately."

The soldier laid it on a small table in front of the throne before running off terrified. The Fire Lord snatched it up and read:

"Fire Lord Sozin,

Avatar Aang has passed his Earthbending test. The plan should now enter its next stage. Long live the Fire Nation!

Yours,

L.F."

A sinister chuckle escaped the shadows behind the throne. Sozin glared even deeper as a figure stepped up next to him.

"Soon we will all have what we want. Those blasted fish will be gone and you will be rid of your Avatar problem. Once I return to full power, you shall be greatly rewarded and this mortal realm will bask in the glory of the Fire Nation."

"I'll believe it all when I see it monster. I'm still not entirely sure I believe your story," Sozin growled, "But if you are lying, the Comet will be here in a little over a month, you'll pay for any treacheries then."

"You date threaten me?!"

"You have no powers here you worm, even if you were in your true form. I am only helping you because it benefits me! Now leave me to my thoughts before I become a known spirit killer!"

Koh scowled at Sozin deeply but forced himself to turn around. This insolent Fire Lord would pay..but they shared a grudge towards the Avatar, so it would have to wait just a while longer….


End file.
